Reversed
by Waterfall of Stars
Summary: What if Hiro and Tadashi's roles were reversed in the fire?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

* * *

The night was cool, the warm summer air giving in to the crisp atmosphere of autumn. The wind blew through the trees like a whisper of time as two figures made their way onto the bridge.

Hiro grinned, having just received a scholarship to Tadashi's beloved 'nerd school'. "I know what you're going to say," he said smugly. "'I should be proud of myself because I'm finally using my gift for something important.'" He stifled a laugh, lowering his voice to mimic his brother.

Tadashi returned his smile, his handsome features looking almost angelic under the silver moonlight. "No, no, I was just going to tell you that your fly was down for the whole show."

The young boy rolled his eyes. "Ha, ha. Hilarious." His brother could be _so_ immature sometimes. Instinctively, he looked down, wanting to prove Tadashi wrong...

A sound of disbelief followed. Hiro zipped up his pants and elbowed his brother forcefully. "Hey!"

It was Tadashi's turn to laugh. "Welcome to nerd school," he looked his brother in the eye. "...nerd."

Hiro gazed into the distance at the faint blue glow of the robotics lab. "Well, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you." He felt his face grow hot as he looked away, refusing to meet his brother's eyes. "So... y-you know. Thanks for not giving up on me."

A faint smile graced Tadashi's lips, as he opened his mouth to reply. But before he could say anything, a shrill sound interrupted the silence.

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Beep._

Tadashi's eyes widened. He knew that sound all too well. It was the sound that he had been taught to fear; the sound that haunted him in his dreams. It was the sound of destruction.

Wordlessly, he ran to the robotics lab. The alarm was ear-splittingly loud, but the sound meant nothing to him.

When he finally caught sight of the lab, his heart nearly stopped.

The building was in flames.

* * *

**I'm sure this isn't the only fic with reversed roles out there. Nor will it be the last. However, I have not read any of the others, so any ideas that you read here are entirely my own.**

**I know this chapter is frustratingly short... the next one is a lot longer, I promise. (It's over 1k words!)**

**Thanks so much for reading this, I'll try to update as soon as possible! **❤


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

* * *

Tadashi spotted a girl making her way out of the building. He rushed up to her through the crowds of people. "Are you okay?"

The girl nodded, clutching her arm in pain. "Yeah, I'm okay." She glanced backwards at the building, worry evident in her features. "But Professor Callaghan's still in there..."

Tadashi frowned noticeably. Callaghan had been more than just a teacher to him. He had inspired Tadashi on countless occasions and taught him things that the teachers would never have pointed out.

Professor Callaghan was like the father he'd never had.

Tadashi ran towards the building, his heart pounding fiercely in his chest. He was going to save Callaghan, no matter what it would take.

He was nearly at the entrance when someone grabbed his arm. He turned around, only to find himself face to face with his brother.

"Tadashi, NO!"

The sheer force of Hiro's voice made Tadashi stop in his tracks. He could see the flames reflected in his brother's eyes, as Hiro tightened the grip on his arm.

Tadashi wanted so badly to give in to those brown eyes. To stay in the comfort of his brother's arms as the building went down in flames. But he couldn't. Callaghan was alive in there. Tadashi couldn't leave him there when he knew he could have saved him.

So instead, the older boy jerked his arm away from his brother. "Callaghan's in there. Someone has to help."

He raced towards the building. There was the sound of something snapping, a sound that Hiro knew better than to ignore.

He knew exactly what the sound meant. The building was about to collapse on his brother and Hiro was not going to let that happen. So he sprinted up to Tadashi, pushing him to safety.

He was standing right in front of the building when the explosion happened.

BOOM!

The whole building exploded in a display of fiery gold. Sparks rained down on them as Tadashi was thrown to the pavement.

He felt the cold cement against his skin and wished that he could stay like that; enclosed in its icy comfort. He felt his eyes drift closed, as the world around him slowly faded away...

Then it struck him.

Hiro.

He forced himself off of the ground, ignoring the pain that devoured every bit of his energy. "Hiro!" He yelled, before breaking off into a harsh fit of coughs.

Through the ashes, he could make out a figure lying on the ground.

All of a sudden, saving Callaghan didn't matter to him anymore.

He ran towards his brother. Everything seemed to be in slow motion, making the moment a million times more painful. He felt the sparks burn painfully against his skin.

But he didn't care.

His legs gave way beneath him as he knelt down in front of his brother's body. "Wake up, Hiro."

There was no response.

"WAKE UP!" He repeated. His voice broke, tears blurring his vision. He could hear the wail of a siren in the distance, as the blinding lights of an ambulance flooded over him.

_Good._

They would save Hiro. They would bring him to the hospital and then everything would be okay.

Despite his blurred mind, Tadashi remembered the medical procedures he had programmed Baymax with. He placed his hand on Hiro's chest, feeling for a pulse.

Nothing.

Despite himself, Tadashi laughed. It was probably just because his mind wasn't entirely clear at the moment. Yes, that had to be why. Hiro couldn't be dead. He couldn't be.

Tadashi laughed until his laughter turned to sobs and tears flowed freely down his cheeks.

He felt lifeless. It was as if the last drop of blood had been drained from him; the last drop of color taken from his life.

All of those times he had saved Hiro in the past... had they all been meaningless? All of the happy moments they had shared... were they all meant to be forgotten?

Inventions. His friends. College. None of it mattered to him anymore. All that he could see; all that he could _think_ was that Hiro was dying. And more importantly, that it was all his fault.

If he hadn't been so desperate to save Callaghan, none of this would have happened. If only he had just listened to his brother for once...

But he hadn't.

He was the one who was supposed to die. He was the one who was supposed to be swallowed by the flames. Not Hiro. Not Hiro, the one with a bright future awaiting him. Not Hiro, the boy who could have been so much more. Hiro should have survived. But instead, he had pushed Tadashi aside so that his brother could live. He had given his life for Tadashi.

_He shouldn't have,_ Tadashi thought bitterly. _He should have saved himself. He should have just let me die…_

He felt suffocated. He couldn't breathe; couldn't think. His heartbeat seemed to drown out all the noise around him... the crackling of the fire; the voices of the people around him; they all ceased to exist.

The fire charred his skin, leaving burn marks all over his hands and legs. His injuries filled him with a searing pain. But he didn't care. It took his mind off of the pain in his heart; awakened him from the numbness that had so lovingly engulfed him.

People surrounded him and his brother. One of them spoke up; presumably a doctor. "Sir, we'll have to separate you from... _him..._ on the ride to the ambulance."

Tadashi felt like he was choking. Not because of the smoke, but because of the things the fire had taken away from him. "No!" he yelled forcefully. "You can't take him away from me. Not again..."

The people exchanged stoid glances. Finally, the doctor nodded. "Fine. Suit yourself."

Tadashi took a seat at the back of the vehicle, still carrying Hiro in his arms. Guilt flooded his heart, preventing his bitter tears from subsiding. _Please,_ he pleaded silently. _Don't let this be the end._

He turned his gaze to the window, watching the blurred outline of the university through the tears in his eyes. As the ambulance drove away, the building became smaller and smaller until it all faded to nothingness.

* * *

**Please leave a review if you can! I'll try to continue this soon.**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

* * *

Darkness.

Then…

Tadashi opened his eyes. In the distance, he could hear the faint beeping of machines weaving in and out of the silence. He pushed himself into an upright position, grimacing at the pain that engulfed him. It hurt to move. It hurt to _think._

Aunt Cass was pacing back and forth at the edge of the room, her footsteps echoing on the linoleum tiles. When she saw that Tadashi was awake, she ran up to him and threw her arms around him. "Tadashi!" She exclaimed. "I was so afraid you wouldn't wake..." her voice trailed off as she bit her lip, willing herself not to cry.

His gaze met hers. Her face was unusually pale, her eyes dull with worry. He could see dark circles under her eyelids, which indicated that she hadn't been sleeping much. Tadashi felt a pang of guilt settle in his heart as he returned her embrace.

"Hiro. How is he?" Tadashi inquired. He stared into her eyes, almost afraid to know the answer.

Aunt Cass averted his glance, unsure of how to respond. "I..."

Upon receiving no reply, Tadashi's frown deepened. "How is he?" He repeated. There was a note of panic in his voice, one that Aunt Cass simply couldn't overlook.

She fumbled for the words like she was searching for a key in the darkness. "He's alive," she stated finally. "But he hasn't woken up yet, and I don't know if he ever will."

Her words echoed in Tadashi's mind. A faint smile made its way across his lips. His brother was alive; he had survived the fire and they were now tending to him in the hospital. It wasn't the end. Just the thought filled him with relief. But the possibility that his brother might never wake up again made his smile melt away. It was too much for him to take in at once.

He didn't realize that tears were cascading down his cheeks. Nor did he care. "I need to see him," Tadashi stated finally. "Where is he?"

Aunt Cass fell silent. She knew it wasn't a good idea to tell him. Tadashi was still weak from his injuries... if he saw the grim state that his brother was in, it would most likely be too much for him to stand.

"Please," Tadashi pleaded. "Answer me..." He trailed off, sadness evident in his voice. Hiro was the one who filled his life with warmth. And in the cold, empty atmosphere of the hospital, there was nothing he needed more.

Cass swallowed. She couldn't deny him from seeing his brother. "He's in room 46," she admitted finally.

That was enough. Without another word, Tadashi stood up and made his way out of the room. His expression remained stoic, but the slight unevenness of his walk and the pain that haunted his eyes did not go unnoticed.

Hiro was lying on a hospital bed. Tadashi didn't know which was more lifeless; the dull, colorless hospital room or the boy who lay within it.

Tadashi sat down next to the hospital bed, nervously clenching and unclenching his fists. It pained him to see his brother in a place like this. It was insanity contained within a single room. It was a million emotions trapped inside of nothingness. It was a massive scream that would never be heard.

"Hiro…"

He took a shaky breath. "I'm so worried about you, knucklehead." He was unable to suppress a tremor in his voice. "We… we all are."

He eyed the many machines that surrounded his brother; glanced over all of the needles that penetrated his skin, and wondered if they were doing any good at all. Turning to the heart monitor, Tadashi watched the line rise and fall steadily in mountains and valleys of death. He prayed with all his heart that it would never stand completely still.

"Please wake up," he choked out. "We need you..." He felt tears forming in his eyes. This time, he made no effort to blink them away.

He had always been the one to save Hiro. He had always been the one to rescue him from his silly bot fights; the one to save him from anyone who dared to lay a hand on him. Tadashi had promised himself never to let any harm come to his little brother. And for awhile, he had come to believe that it was possible.

Yet he had failed.

In the one time his brother needed him most, he had ignored him. He had run towards the fire for his own selfish reasons, resulting in...

...This.

Staring at his brother's lifeless features, Tadashi felt as though his heart just might break. The guilt was an ocean and he was drowning. Suffocating.

He felt hot, angry tears fill his eyes. Inside, he was screaming.

Why?

Why did it have to be Hiro? Out of all the people in his world, surely his brother didn't deserve this.

No one did.

Tadashi's hands were trembling now, his whole body burning with anger. He should never have tried to save Callaghan. He should never have entered the burning building.

This was all his fault. His brother was dead and it was_ all his fault._

He felt a wave of rage wash over him. He slammed his fists onto the wall, sending a ripple of pain throughout his body.

He remembered yelling in anger, until he was out of breath and his hands felt cold and clammy.

Then, slowly, his anger dissipated, and all that was left was sadness.

A tear fell to the ground. Then another. He hadn't bothered to wipe them away.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I should have been there to protect you. I'm so sorry, Hiro…" He fell silent, listening to the steady ticking of the clock. Every second brought Hiro closer to death. And every second, guilt crushed Tadashi a bit more.

He felt the energy leave him like sand emptying from the top of an hourglass. For the first time, he realised how exhausted he was. But that didn't matter. None of it mattered anymore. He looked up at the many machines that surrounded his brother and realized that now, more than ever, Hiro looked…

...Helpless.

Unprotected. Weak. Vulnerable. Like he was just moments away from death.

Tadashi swallowed. No. His brother was stronger than that. Hiro was the one who could look a bot fighter in the eye without batting an eye. He was the one who dared to enter college as a thirteen year old, no matter how many people found it impossible. Tadashi just prayed that the explosion hadn't taken away all that.

_I would do anything to take your place, _he said silently._ Anything… _He heard footsteps in the hallway and knew that it was time for him to leave.

"Please be okay," he whispered. He reached out and fistbumped his brother lightly. "I love you."

"Tadashi. Visiting hours are over. We need to go home, okay?" It was Aunt Cass. Her voice was muffled by the door between them, but he could tell that she'd been crying.

"Okay," Tadashi responded. When the door opened, he emerged with a smile on his face.

Aunt Cass frowned. "Are you feeling alright?" Tadashi wasn't one to get over things this quickly.

"I'm fine," He told her. But the pain in his eyes said otherwise.

* * *

**Sorry, this didn't turn out as sad as I hoped it would be. Hopefully it was okay regardless.**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

* * *

A day passed.

Then another.

Tadashi found himself slowly disappearing from reality. He would zone out for long periods of time, unable to concentrate on anything. He found himself unable to tell the difference between dreams and reality. Every day was the same; an endless, meaningless haze that blocked out everything beyond it.

But that was okay.

His life didn't need a meaning anymore.

People had whispered kind words to him in an attempt to comfort him. But those were just meaningless lies. And although they could hide the damage that had been done, they could never truly heal the wounds.

He forced himself to attend the university, but his mind was far from his studies. He found himself struggling to remember what had happened with each passing day.

Yet, infallibly, he would always find himself at the hospital after school. Every day, he would ask the same question.

"How is he?"

And every day, he would receive the same answer...

"He hasn't woken up yet. I'm sorry."

* * *

"Tadashi!"

The voice seemed to fade away in the depths of his mind, falling into an endless abyss of nothingness...

"Tadashi!"

It finally registered that someone was calling him. Tadashi turned around, his movements slow and uncalculated. "Is something wrong?"

"Hiro. He's..." Aunt Cass paused. There was something in her eyes that she had never let him see before. Something like... _panic. _

She lowered her head, trying to conceal the tears in her eyes. "They've lost hope on him. They're going to disconnect him from the machines tonight."

Tadashi's eyes grew wide. "No," he muttered. "NO!" He was no medical genius, but he knew enough to know what that meant. They were going to give up on his brother. They were going to just let him _die._

He felt choked. Suffocated._ Lifeless. _

If only there was a way for him to save his brother. He knew the hospital's decision was final, but it seemed so excruciatingly cruel.

He had told himself that Hiro would wake up; that there was still hope in his survival. And for awhile now, those words had served as a painkiller to him. But now... the painkiller had worn off and all that was left was pain.

Unbearable, agonizing pain.

Tadashi buried his face in his hands, letting out a muffled sob. He heard the soft sound of air rushing into something, but he was too disoriented to tell what it was.

"Hello, I am Baymax."

The voice took him by surprise. Tadashi looked up at the robot, his eyes wide with shock. "B-Baymax?" He stuttered. He had completely forgotten about his robot. "But I'm not hurt..." he trailed off, lost in thought. Baymax was programmed to respond to physical pain, not emotional...

"I heard a sound of distress," Baymax stated. "I am detecting the protein-based compounds prolactin, adrenocorticotropic hormone, and leucine enkephalin, which suggests that you are crying."

Tadashi nodded wordlessly, realizing he hadn't told Baymax about the incident. Come to think about it, he hadn't talked to the robot for days now.

He proceeded to recount all the events to Baymax, who listened closely, not questioning him once. When he finished, the robot tilted his head curiously to the side, before asking:

"May I see him?"

Tadashi frowned, thinking he had heard wrong. "What?"

"May I see him?" The robot repeated, confirming his suspicions. "I would like to help."

Slowly, the ghost of a smile made its way onto Tadashi's lips. Maybe there_ was _a way to save Hiro...

* * *

**I really hate this chapter. ****It's cringeworthy.**

**But it's the last decent length chapter there is. The rest are gravely short...**

**Should I still continue this...?**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

* * *

Tadashi knocked on the door to the hospital room. He was carrying Baymax's red cartridge in his arms, determined to help his brother.

"Let me in." He demanded.

"Visiting hours are over," came the cold reply.

Tadashi tightened his grip on the cartridge, his hands trembling slightly. "Please," he said through gritted teeth. "I'm his brother."

"That doesn't matter to me..." A bitter laugh sounded throughout the room, a laugh that was inexplicably familiar.

"I need to see him." Tadashi pleaded, sorrow evident in his voice. "He's getting unplugged today, and I can't..." he sucked in a shaky breath. "I can't just leave him."

He felt tears trickle down his cheeks, destroying the calm image that he had tried so hard to retain. He could have sworn he heard a snicker from the other side of the door. "It's too late now."

"Too late?" Tadashi repeated the words in disbelief. "You can't do this. Please, just LET ME IN!" His voice rose in a crescendo of panic, as he pounded on the door, hoping desperately that it would open.

The laugh that followed was almost too cold to be human. "Hm. My condolences," the person said. "But my decision is final."

Tadashi leaned onto the wall, tears blurring his vision. He didn't want to accept the truth. But deep inside, he knew it. The hospital door wasn't going to open again... he had lost his brother forever.

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Beep._

He listened the faint beeping of the machines. Each sound choked him more than the last. He couldn't breathe, couldn't think.

_Beep._

_Beep._

There was the faint click of a plug.

Then there was only silence.

* * *

**Someday, I will write decent length chapters.**

**That day is not today.**

**More to come soon~**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

* * *

The silence was deafening.

It was a silence louder than any alarm; a silence mirroring a million screams.

Tadashi closed his eyes, the vision of his parents' death flooding his mind. It was an image he had tried so hard to forget... a memory he had locked away in the furthest corners of his mind.

Now, it made him feel like death.

He couldn't lose Hiro too. His brother was the one who filled his life with color; the one who could illuminate even his darkest hours.

Without Hiro, he had nothing.

Tadashi stood up shakily. He surveyed his surroundings, his eyes falling upon a few chairs that lined the periphery of the hallway. Biting his lip, he took one of them with trembling hands.

Tadashi Hamada hated to destroy things.

He hated to watch them fall apart, hated to see the broken pieces that they left behind. But now, there was nothing he wanted more than to see the door destroyed.

With all the energy he had left, he rammed the legs of the chair against the hospital door.

_Bam._

A slight fissure blossomed within the blank surface.

_Bam._

_Bam._

_Bam._

Slowly, it spread into a large crack, then a hole, and then...

_BAM._

The door fell to the ground. Tadashi's eyes grew wide. Lying on the hospital bed was his brother, looking alarmingly lifeless.

But he wasn't alone.

Standing next to him was...

* * *

**Again, I'm sorry for the short chapter D: I'll update again tomorrow.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

* * *

Tadashi couldn't move. He couldn't speak.

"A-Alistair Krei?" He stuttered. He looked from his brother to the successful businessman, his eyes wide. "But... why would you do this?"

Krei smirked coldly. "There's something that your brother has," he stated. "Something that I want." There was not a trace of compassion in his voice.

"Hiro's Microbots," Tadashi realized. All of a sudden, everything made sense.

"He had his chance. But he didn't give them to me," Krei replied. "So I had to steal them from him. Then I set a fire to cover my tracks."

Tadashi shook his head. "No," he murmured.

Krei ignored him. "I tried to find a way to get rid of him, but I guess I didn't have to. He was stupid enough to go into the fire I made." He gestured carelessly towards Hiro's body. "Oh well."

Tadashi stared at him, his eyes overflowing with hatred and betrayal. "You killed him," he whispered. "YOU KILLED HIM!"

"My condolences," Alistair answered flatly.

"You won't get away with this," Tadashi muttered. "I'll tell the police. You're going to end up in prison." His voice wavered slightly.

A coldness settled in Krei's eyes. "But who would believe you? A flimsy college student… against a famous, adored businessman? They'll think you've gone insane from your grief."

He smiled, offering Tadashi half a wave. "Goodbye, Tadashi. Have fun with your precious brother." He spat out the words like they were bitter.

Tadashi listened to his footsteps fade away in the long and desolate hallway. He rushed up to his brother and plugged the cord back into the wall.

Slowly, the lights in all the machines flickered on. Everything was as it is, with the IV leaking a strange colored liquid into Hiro's arm. But this time, the line on the heart monitor was completely flat.

He was too late.

* * *

**Bear with me, guys. This isn't over yet...**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

* * *

_No,_ Tadashi panicked. _It can't be. _He stared blankly at the machine, unwilling to accept the truth.

Then, slowly, pain began to collect within him. He remembered the time when he had broken his arm; remembered the sickening snap that it had made. He remembered the time when he had been shot trying to protect his brother from the botfighters; the incident had landed him in the hospital for a month. Back then, the pain had been unbearable; he could barely muster the strength to breathe. Every inch of his body had stung, _throbbed_ as if it was on fire. He'd felt like he was dying. But nothing, _nothing _could compare to _this. _

He felt darkness engulf the corners of his vision. Tears stung at his eyes, but he made no effort to blink them away. His heart pounded at a nauseatingly slow speed. All that he could think was that his brother was dead.

Hiro was _dead._

If those words had pained him before, they were suffocating him now.

When he had rescued Hiro from the flames, he'd kept hope that the hospital could save him. Every time he visited his brother, the rise and fall of the heart monitor confirmed that Hiro was still alive. Even when Aunt Cass had broken the news to him, he had believed so naively that he could help.

But now, there were no more lies to make the truth less painful. Now, the last light of hope inside of him had been stifled - extinguished - put out, leaving him in a world of darkness.

He wanted to disappear. He wanted to die. Anything was better than accepting his brother's departure.

His brother couldn't be dead.

He hadn't had the chance to say goodbye.

Somewhere, something snapped inside his mind. _Baymax,_ Tadashi remembered. _Maybe he can help._

He placed the red cartridge on the ground, his heart pounding in his chest. "Ow," he called.

Slowly, Baymax inflated from his charging station. "Hello. I am Baymax, your personal healthcare companion."

"Scan Hiro," Tadashi commanded. "Please."

A flicker of a scan passed through the robot's eyes. Tadashi watched him closely. "Will he be okay?" he inquired shakily.

Baymax walked up Hiro and unplugged his IV. "Now he will."

"What are you doing?" Tadashi yelled, his voice trembling with anguish. "That was supplying him with his necessary medications!"

"No," Baymax said quietly. "It was supplying him with poison."

* * *

At first, the readings on the heart monitor had been perfectly still. But then, slowly, the line began to tremble, as if it was in the midst an earthquake.

_Beep._

_Beep._

_Beep._

Slowly, the mountains and valleys of life returned.

It was a miracle.

* * *

Baymax had supplied Hiro with the proper medications to remove the poisons from his system. Now all they had to do was wait.

Tadashi took a seat next to the hospital bed, just like so many days before this. "Hello, Hiro."

He had learned to stop expecting a reply.

* * *

Tadashi bit his lip nervously. "We're all really worried about you. So... wake up soon, okay?"

He knew his words would go unheard. But that never stopped him from saying them.

* * *

"I'll take you bot fighting..." Tadashi's voice trailed off. "We can go to the university. I'll take you to your favorite restaurant a-and everything will be okay again." He swallowed, tears pooling up in his eyes.

"If only you'd just wake up..."

* * *

"I miss you. More than you'll ever comprehend."

He had never meant it more.

* * *

"I'm sorry. This was all my fault. I'll protect you next time." He was unable to suppress a tremor in his voice. "This will never happen again. I promise."

* * *

As usual, Tadashi took a seat next to the hospital bed. Everything was falling apart. He was barely passing his classes. His friends had tried to comfort him, but their words never really reached him. Even Aunt Cass was unable to cheer him up.

Without Hiro, it just wasn't the same.

His life was colorless. It was like the faded light of a sunset just before the world was immersed in darkness, or the last petals of a flower that was just moments away from wilting. He felt so empty.

It was all _dying. _

He was starting to lose hope that Hiro would ever wake up. Even though Hiro was alive, he seemed to be trapped in an endless dream that separated him from his brother.

Tadashi swallowed, forcing a smile onto his face. He felt tears form in his eyes as he uttered the words that he had said so many times before. "Hello, Hiro."

A small, almost unnoticeable smile hinted at the younger boy's lips.

"Hello, Tadashi."

* * *

**This sucks. I know. I'm sorry. :(**


End file.
